Is it necessary for everyone to go to college?
Fifty years ago, college education was sold to students as a way of broadening their intellectual horizons. The curriculum was filled with courses in literature, philosophy, history and so on. If you were looking for job training, that was mostly found in the job market itself, or at technical institutes and community colleges.
Strangely, the situation has changed almost 180 degrees. Today most people look to higher education for job training (or at least preparation) and great numbers of students believe that without a college degree, they will be unemployable in all but menial labor. At the same time, the old idea that the purpose of a college education is to broaden one’s intellectual horizons has been largely relegated to the broom closet. True, quite a few institutions still pay lip service to the importance of a liberal education, but in fact it is quite easy for students at most of them to earn a BA without taking any of the kind of courses that used to be the pillars of the curriculum. Students who want to learn about, say, philosophy or history would be better off looking for a good lecture series on tape than looking through the course catalogue.
BOG discuss UNC, president search
RALEIGH – Three members of the UNC Board of Governors participated in a town hall-type of meeting with members of the Capital Area Republican Club Tuesday night. Although a wide variety of topics were covered, most of the discussion centered on the search for a new UNC president.
Brent Barringer, Frank Grainger, and Peter Hans discussed the candidate search in general as well as the candidacy of Erskine Bowles in particular during their presentations. All three said that the board would consider all candidates, but with the media and politicians getting behind Bowles it was making it hard to conduct a search. Those same sentiments were expressed by Board of Governors Chair Brad Wilson during the board’s regular meeting earlier this month.
All kidding aside, let’s remember just who in academe actually takes gravity lightly
An article in the Onion spoofing the Intelligent Design debate flunks the Aristotelian test of true wit. But it can be used to demonstrate just how absurd academic Marxists already are.
BOG Insists President Search Far From Over
CHAPEL HILL – UNC Board of Governors Chair Brad Wilson Friday debunked the notion that board members have decided on a replacement for President Molly Broad before the search process has even interviewed a single candidate.
Wilson, who spoke during Friday’s full Board of Governors meeting, said the Presidential Search Committee intends to review all possible candidates and proceed with integrity. The comments came as speculation continues to grow that former Clinton Administration Chief of Staff and two-time Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Erskine Bowles is the front-runner for the position. Bowles, who has received the support from legislators from both parties, has made it known that he would like to serve as the system’s next president.
NCAA issues ban on Indian mascots
Last week an executive committee for the National Collegiate Athletics Association decided to prohibit the use of Indian mascots and nicknames by colleges and universities participating in the organization’s postseason tournaments. The NCAA also strongly encouraged institutions to cease scheduling athletic competitions with schools who use Native American nicknames, imagery or mascots.
Teaching Assistants – One of UNC’s worst features
While browsing in a book store recently, I happened to notice a slim volume entitled University of North Carolina: Off the Record. It’s a student’s eye view to life at UNC-Chapel Hill. What particularly caught my attention as I flipped through the book were lists of the ten best and ten worst things about the university.
Making the Ten Worst list were predictable complaints about inconveniences such as the terrible parking situation, the misery of the registration system, and the extraordinary difficulty of getting tickets for the Duke game. Also making the list was a pet peeve of mine, one that has a direct and serious effect on the quality of education students receive – Teaching Assistants.
Grove City College Shows What Can Happen Without Title IX
In the sports world, Title IX brings about various sets of emotions. There are those who believe the 1972 legislation – which bars discrimination based on sex at institutions receiving federal funding – has greatly increased the number of opportunities for female athletes. Others say the regulation has mostly decreased the number of opportunities for males, because schools have often dropped men’s sports to achieve equality.
It is instructive to look at the experience of one college that doesn’t have to abide by Title IX’s mandates. Grove City College, a private college in northwest Pennsylvania, does not accept federal funding therefore is exempt from federal regulations. Nevertheless, the school provides ample opportunities for men and women to compete in NCAA Division III level sports.
The story begins with the decision of Grove City’s administration to challenge the applicability of Title IX and its burdensome reporting requirements in the early 1980s. When the school failed to supply the documents demanded by the Department of Education, the DOE filed suit to stop Grove City students from receiving federal financial aid (Basic Education Opportunity Grants).
Learn the ins & outs of pursuing “culturally correct” funding
A rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, recently won a scholarship worth up to $20,000 to study Tajik and Russian languages in the Asian nation of Tajikistan. Since that scholarship obliges him to work in national security upon graduation, UNC-CH’s Prof. Charles Kurzman is worried about what kind of “dirty deeds” he might be up to.
Diversity Movement Threatens Academic Freedom
Just for fun, imagine how the academic Left would react if dozens of colleges incorporated patriotism into their guiding principles and evaluated people according to their “patriotic dispositions.”
Then think how they’d respond to a plan to “Develop Patriotism” among university faculty that would:
“Revise 3rd year, tenure, and post-tenure evaluation criteria to assess ongoing skill building and demonstrable commitment to patriotism.”
“Tie evaluation of patriotism to raises, promotions, etc.”
“Recommend that all instructional faculties participate in ongoing patriotism professional development, including a module from the Patriotism Project.
“Include meaningful emphasis on patriotism development in orientation programming.”
Statement a Victory for Academic Freedom
Last week the American Council on Education released a “Statement on Academic Rights and Responsibilities,” endorsed by dozens of affiliated groups, including the American Association of University Professors, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and others.